Holiday Crafts: Make a Christmas Card Recipe Box

We all get those lovely Christmas cards during this holiday season. But what to do with them when the holidays are over? It feels like a real shame to simply toss them, especially since your family and friends have gone to the trouble to send them to you with such care. Here is a craft idea that makes good use of your Christmas cards, while letting you enjoy them - or even give this craft item as a gift!

Christmas Card Recipe Box

This is a great craft to make and give to someone who is newly married, or someone who is learning how to cook. A great idea is to ask lots of members of the family to contribute recipes for this person, what a lovely gift. Why not make a Christmas Card Recipe Box and add in some of your family's favorite Christmas recipes? They are sure to please. With this special box your friend or family member will then have a special place to keep their Christmas recipes - for those mouthwatering Christmas cookies and other special goodies.

For this craft you will need:

A wooden recipe box - please note: the best box for this project is a rectangular box with a flat surface. Any rounded or curved edges will be very hard for you to work with!

Christmas cards (at least 10)

decoupage glue (a great glue to get is called Modge Podge)

foam brushes

scissors

a pencil

recipe cards

a red or a green pen

This craft will be using the art of decoupage. Decoupage is a simple craft that involves gluing paper to objects in an artistic way. It has been around for centuries, and can look quite beautiful. It is the perfect way to use these Christmas cards to decorate a wooden box. In the end your box will be decorated with Christmassy images and it will look glossy and shiny.

Begin by looking at your wooden box and the Christmas cards that you have. This is the time to decide which images you would like on what sides of the box. What image would you like on the top of the box? What image would you like on the sides of the box? What images would you like on the back of the box?

Once you have an idea of which images you would like where, it is time to cut and glue your cards on. Why not begin with the top of your box. Take the card you have chosen and trace the box top on the card. Then cut the box top out on the card. A tip when you are cutting! Always cut your images slightly smaller than you have actually cut them. When you add the layers of glue, the card is going to swell just a bit. So cut the card just the teensiest bit smaller on every side - by like a 1/32 of an inch - by just a hair. I think you get the idea.

Then put a thin layer of glue down on the top of the box and then put the cut image on the box top. Press gently. Then put several more thin layers of glue on top. The image is going to get a bit white with the glue - but do not worry! The image will dry nice and shiny. You are going to like the way it looks.

Now repeat these steps with every side of the box. A tip about hinges on the box, always allow for extra room when cutting your image on the back where the hinges are. If too much glue gets into the hinges, the box may have trouble closing properly.

Once your box is covered with images - except for the bottom of the box of course, give that box another good layer of glue and set it out to dry. While it is drying write down your Christmas recipes on recipe cards to add to the box.

The box should dry within an hour, it may take longer if it is in a humid or wet place. Once dry, you can gift wrap it for giving.